You Left My Life
by IHeartVA
Summary: *ON HOLD* Dimitri took Tasha's offer after sleeping with Rose, making her pregnant. Three years later, they're coming back and Rose has a beautiful three year old. What things will unfold when mother, child, and father meet? And will the romance continue?
1. Love Fades

**Yay! Another new story! Just a quick summary: ****Dimitri took Tasha's offer after sleeping with Rose, leaving her pregnant. Three years later, he's coming back. ****So review and thanks so much for al your support over my past few stories. :D**

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"Mama!" Izobela yelled. "Auntie Lissa is looking for you."

I smiled warmly at her then took her into my arms. Izobela was my three year old daughter. She was sweet, but had skills in fighting like she was a pro. Where do you think she got it? Izobela had long, strait dark brown hair and big, twinkling eyes that reminded me so much of a special person. A special person who went by the name Dimitri Belikov. My former lover, who left me three years ago for a bitch, after sleeping with me. And that night in the cabin had more consequences then anything. Almost a week later, I found out I was pregnant. Of course, it was Dimitri's child. But I didn't want to tell him. Let him be happy in his new life. Dimitri would never be apart of Izobela's life; nor mine.

"Let's go meet her downstairs." I told her.

Once we got downstairs, I found Lissa sitting on the kitchen counter, munching on a bag of popcorn. Lissa knew about me and Dimitri. And so did Christian. They both, yes even Christian, thought Tasha was a dumbass for taking him away.

"Hey." I said, placing Izobela down on the floor. "What's up."

She swallowed her last piece then set the bag down on the counter. "You're not going to like this news."

I lifted my eyebrow. "Then do I have to know?"

"Yeah." she replied. "But I guarantee that you'll hate it."

"Just tell me already, Liss! I'm sure whatever it is you want to tell me, I could take it."

She sighed then looked up, not meeting my eyes.

"Tasha's coming for Christmas." she muttered.

My eyes widened. This scared the crap out of me. If Tasha was coming, then certainly her guardian was coming. And her guardian was Dimitri. This was going to be trouble.

"When are they coming?" I asked coldly.

She finally met my eyes. "In a few minutes."

I froze.

"Why didn't you at least warn me?" I demanded, clenching my fists to my sides tightly.

She sensed my anger and held her hands up in front of her, a sign telling me to calm down. I didn't.

"I'm sorry." she apologized. "I just didn't know how to tell you. They asked if they could stay with us, and we couldn't just say no."

I let out a breath of frustration. "Well how about Izobela? I don't want him to know she's his daughter. Who knows? He might even have children with Tasha right now."

"Calm down." she said. "First of all, Christian and I will keep Izobela a secret from him. Secondly, no, they don't have children."

I groaned. "How long are they staying?"

She looked down again. Uh-oh.

"Uh, a couple of weeks."

I gripped the edge of table, as if I was about to rip it off at any moment. "I don't want anything to do with them."

She nodded. I knew she would understand.

"Okay." she agreed. Then, she jumped down from the counter and gave me a hug. "Everything will be fine."

I rolled my eyes. "I hope so."

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Christian called out from the living room.

I took a deep breath. This was it.

Lissa gave me a look of reassurance as I picked up Izobela and led me to the room.

That's when I saw him. Those chocolate brown eyes Izobela had. That hair that was tucked into a ponytail, a few strands of hair managing to escape. The muscular body that seemed so familiar to me. He looked amazing, I had to say. He'd been exactly as I had imagined him. Still very tall. Still very handsome and sexy.

Once our eyes met, it was like an explosion of memories. The cabin. Those tender kisses we shared. But he'd given those all up for Tasha.

"Hello, Roza." he said, his Russian accent lacing around his words. And the old nickname. It brought shivers to my spine just thinking of it.

I felt like melting at that very second, but I stood guard. Dimitri wouldn't get past me and back into my life. Not this time.

"Hello, Guardian Belikov." I replied smoothly.

Then, Tasha came over to me and gave me a hug. I felt tempted to punch her in the gut, but I restrained myself.

"Oh Rose! You look so beautiful! We missed you so much!" she ranted.

I forced a smile. This wasn't going to be easy.

Then, she noticed Izobela in my arms.

"Who's this little angel?" she asked.

Izobela cuddled closer to me, not wanting to look at Tasha. I loved this kid.

"This is Izobela. She's my daughter."

Dimitri froze at that second. He probably thinks its somebody else's daughter. Well let him think that. I didn't give a shit.

Tasha smiled down at her. "Well she's very cute."

I nodded then put Izobela down. She crawled all the way across the room, until she was at the foot of none other then, her biological father, Dimitri.

Dimitri smiled down at her lifelessly, like she was the most precious thing in the world. He picked her up gently then looked at her. "Hello."

She waved at him. "Hi. I'm Izobela Marie Hathaway. What's your name?"

My smile was small. How is it that she just met Dimitri less then two minutes ago, and she already feels like she's known him forever.

"I'm Dimitri Belikov." he introduced himself.

Izobela smiled at him then kissed his cheek. Such a sweet father and daughter moment. If only they knew.

"Come on Izobela." I said. "Time to go to sleep."

She pouted then snuggled closer to Dimitri. "Can Dimitri read me a story?"

I paused then looked up at him. His eyes were filled with emotion and sadness.

"Alright." I answered. "But only one."

She nodded then said her goodbyes and goodnights to everyone.

I headed upstairs, Dimitri with Izobela closely on my trail.

Izobela hopped out of Dimitri's arms once we reached her room and chose a book. A second later, she came back with nothing in her hand.

"I want you to make up a story." she told Dimitri.

Dimitri smiled then sat down on a stool as Izobela tucked herself in.

I turned to leave when Izobela's voice stopped me.

"Stay, Mama. Please? I want you to hear it too."

I shrugged then sat down on the other side of the bed, opposite of Dimitri.

"What kind of story do you want me to tell?" he asked Izobela.

She thought for a minute.

"One about how my Mama and Daddy met." Then she turned to me. "You never tell me stories about my daddy."

Dimitri wore the same expression of confusion.

I panicked. They both wanted to know who the Father was. Time to improvise.

"Well." I started. "You're I met your daddy before you were born. I met him when I was seventeen."

She nodded then sunk into her pillow more. I was begging that she would fall asleep soon.

"And I loved him a lot." It was true. Dimitri had given me my whole life. He had given me Izobela.

"And." I continued. "He was a really good fighter. But he left me with you. So now we only have each other."

Her eyes were getting droopy, so I decided this was a good place to stop.

I leaned down and kissed her soft forehead.

"Goodnight, angel. I love you."

It took me a minute to discover that Dimitri was still here. Carefully, we exited the room, shutting of the lights as I closed the door.

"Lots of things have changed, Roza." Dimitri spoke softly.

I raised my eyebrows. "Like what?"

"Well you have a daughter now. But I keep on wondering who would have done that and left. That's so irresponsible."

You're talking about yourself, I felt so tempted to say.

"Yah." I said bitterly. "I thought I actually loved this guy. But apparently not."

He paused. Then, he whispered. "Who is the father, Rose?"

I shook my head. "None of your concern, Guardian Belikov."

He winced at the way I called him.

"I'm sorry, Roza." he whispered again.

My eyes were getting watery, but I refused them taking the full advantage of me. I had to be strong.

"Sorry?" I demanded. "You leave and three years later, you think you could just come back and say you're _sorry_?"

He sighed. "I'm sorry I left you, Roza. Please."

I shook my head. "Don't ever call me that again. And don't ever think I'm going swoon and fall back into your arms, because I'm not. You've made your final decisions. And now, you get to live them."

"No, but Rose, I'm not asking for you to take-"

"Just shut up!" I shrieked. "There's no way in the world I would forgive you. Stay away from my family. Stay away from me, and mostly, stay away from Izobela. You left us for your own stupid mistakes."

Then, I realized what I had just said. Left _us_…oh crap.

Dimitri must have noticed it too.

"Wait. Roza. Are you telling me…?"

I shook my head in frustration. "You left her life even before she was born. You don't deserve her, Dimitri. Even _if you are the father."_

"But Roza! Am I the father?" he asked, his voice urging.

"Find out yourself. You could have known if you'd stayed." Tears started to trickle down my cheek.

He stepped forward and brought a hand up to my cheek, which I dodged.

"Don't touch me!" I growled. "And don't you ever go near my daughter."

"She's my daughter too, Rose." he said. "I have a part in her life, whether you like it or not."

I groaned. "But are you just going to leave again? Huh? I don't want to tell Izobela that you left her. How do you think she'll feel?"

When he didn't answer, I wiped away the tears from my face and turned away from him.

"How do you think I felt?" I whispered.

He shook his head slowly. "Roza…"

I closed my eyes and held my hand up to stop him.

"Please stop." I said in a little voice. "This is too much to take for one day, Dimitri. Please."

He hesitated, then nodded. "Goodnight, Rose."

I opened my eyes and passed behind him towards my room, not saying word, but tears still dripping down my cheeks.

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**So? What do you guys think? Oh and I really need your opinion on something. I have so much stories and I don't think I cud continue them and UD as fast. So its up to you guys to vote on three stories I should keep and continue. Here are my VA stories:**

**-My Heart Belongs To You**

**-Promises Left Behind**

**-Forbidden Secrets**

**-Dimitri & Rose: A Modern Day Romeo & Juliet Story**

**-You Left My Life**

**So leave a review with your answers. Please pick the three that you think I should continue and I'll add them all up. The results will be posted with the next update of My Heart Belongs To You. :D**


	2. One Day At The Mall

**So here is chapter 2! I've decided on what stories to keep up and UDed. Drum roll please! ****1)My Heart Belongs To You 2)You Left My Life 3) Promises Left Behind There was a huge lead of votes for these stories, and I will be deleting the rest of my stories on June 13****th****! So you have until this date to read over the stories I'm not keeping. Ciao!**

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The next day, I felt horrible. My eyes were puffy and swollen from crying, and my back was really sore.

"Hey Ro-wow." Christian stumbled. "What happened to you? You look like shit."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, thanks. It's none of your business."

He shrugged then walked over to his bedroom.

I quickly picked up Izobela from her room and headed downstairs for breakfast. Lissa, Tasha, and Dimitri were sitting on the table, discussing something, but looked up when I entered the room.

"Good morning, Rose." Tasha greeted.

I muttered a quick good-morning then sat myself and Izobela on the farthest end of the table, away from Dimitri.

"What's on your agenda today?" Tasha asked me.

I grabbed Izobela one chocolate chip pancake an handed it over to her. "Drop Izobela off at the Court Preschool. Then I'm free for the rest of the day."

Tasha's smile brightened. "Then maybe you would like to join Lissa, Dimitri, Christian and I on a little Christmas shopping trip."

Oh crap. What have I gotten myself into?

I met Lissa's eyes and gave her a look. She cringed then turned to Tasha.

"Um…" She gave me a pained look then answered slowly. "Rose would love to go with us."

I glared at her then rolled my eyes. Really Lissa? I would get her back later on.

Tasha clasped her hands together stood up. "Great! I'll go get ready."

With that last note, she left the room. One out, one more to go.

The room was silent. Lissa just stared at me the whole entire time, giving me an apologetic look. I refused to look her way as I waited for Izobela to finish her pancake. I could still feel Dimitri's presence in the room. It made me very uncomfortable. And the talk we had last night didn't help.

"Are you done?" I asked Izobela as she nodded with a satisfied burp. Then, I turned to Lissa. "I'll be right back. Gotta go drop her off."

Just as I stood up, Dimitri did the same thing.

"I'll come." he muttered.

I shook my head, helping Izobela down from the chair.

"I don't need help." I snapped, turning away.

_Temper, Rose. _Lissa said through the bond. _Just let him go with you so he'll be satisfied. _

I grumbled then whirled around, facing Dimitri.

"Fine." I murmured to him.

He showed a quirky smile then opened the door for both of us.

I rolled my eyes, making sure he saw it, then stomped out the door.

_Rose, your being childish_. Lissa sent.

I sighed then grabbed Izobela's hand.

"Dimitri's coming!" she rejoiced.

He smiled in alarm as he caught her other hand in his. "Yes, Izobela. I am."

She grinned then looked up at me. "How come you two were yelling last night? I heard it from behind the door and I couldn't sleep."

I swallowed the air I'd been holding for a long time then took a deep breath, not meeting Dimitri's eyes.

"Just some issues we had to discuss." I told her.

"What kind of issues?" she asked.

I paused. "Grown-up issues, Izzy."

Dimitri continued to stare at me helplessly.

"What?" I scoffed.

He shook his head then murmured something to himself in Russian. God, this man was driving me crazy…literally.

Once we got the Preschool, I kissed Izobela goodbye as she ran over to join her friends in the playground.

"Where to next?" Dimitri asked as we started to walk back home.

"Um, to the house?" I said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Where else would I go on a Friday morning? Get mani-pedis with Tasha? In your dreams."

He was silent for a minute. Then, he said, "She's not as bad as you think."

I groaned.

"Says you." I muttered.

We walked in silence. His presence made me feel very uncomfortable. It was kinda peculiar because three years ago, I would've died if he were in the same room as me. But that part of me had faded from the shadows. At least, that's what I wanted to happen.

"Ready?" Tasha asked, coming up to us as we stopped in front of a black SUV.

Dimitri nodded.

We ended up driving to the mall like this: Dimitri driving, me in the front passenger seat (lucky me, huh?) , and Lissa, Christian, and Tasha in the back.

"So Rose." Tasha started as we crossed the Court Wards. "Who's the father of Izobela again?"

I glanced back at Lissa and shrugged.

"I don't really like to talk about it." I murmured. I watched as Dimitri's fist gripped around the steering wheel so tightly, his knuckles were turning white.

"Well your very lucky." Tasha continued. "I've always wanted a daughter. Especially as cute as yours."

I turned my head away from her and rolled my eyes. _Then go have one with the father of mine._

Once we got to the mall, Lissa suggested that we started at the jewelry store.

"I need to get you and Tasha a present." she told me. "Do you like this one?"

"I don't need anything, Liss." I said, pushing away her hand that was pointing to a pair of diamond studs.

She sighed. "There has to be something you would want here. Just look around. I'll be looking for Tasha's present over there if you need me." Then, her eyes landed on Dimitri, who I didn't notice, was standing beside me.

"Holy crap!" I jumped. My heart was beating like crazy.

"Sorry." he mumbled.

Lissa nodded slowly. "Um…okay. Guardian Belikov, you don't have to be on duty right now. I'll just be over there near counter."

"Okay." he agreed.

I watched her as she meet my eyes, then left. I took a deep breath then walked to the far end of the room, pretending to look at different selections of necklaces. I could still feel his eyes on me as I walked. His footsteps were still right behind, like echoes in my ear.

_Just ignore him_, I ordered myself. _Maybe he'll go away._

I averted my eyes from looking back, focusing on the different kinds of bracelets, trying to look at least a little interested. I continued to walk until I reached a clear glass counter filled with different displays of bracelets inside. I scanned my eyes over, the least bit interested. At least, until I saw a charm bracelet.

It was gold. But it didn't look like the fake gold that you usually got for half off, but it looked _solid _gold. The chain was twisted and clasped together with a circle and a solid line. And hanging loosely in the middle was a a heart charm. The charm was engraved with intricate designs of swirls and a deep outline of the heart. It was so beautiful, it took my breath away. I had almost forgot that Dimitri was right next to me.

"Hello, miss." said the lady behind the counter. "That is $2,050 dollars if you are interested."

My jaw dropped to the floor. How could something as simple and beautiful as this be two thousand fifty dollars. I couldn't afford that in a lifetime.

I shook my head. "Just looking." I emitted.

She nodded then smiled up at Dimitri flirtatiously. "Can I help you sir?"

I didn't have the strength to look up at his face, but I knew he had his blank guardian mask on. It so obvious to know.

"No thank you." he consoled sternly.

The lady frowned then went off to help another costumer.

In the meanwhile, I couldn't take my eyes of the bracelet. Rose Hathaway was never, ever, EVER, obsessed with a piece of metal like I was now.

"Rose." Dimitri crooned, breaking my gaze from the charm. "Lissa said she'll meet us for lunch at the food court. Wanna go now?"

I hesitated, then nodded slowly. We walked side by side to the food court. I knew his eyes were on me the whole time, and it took all my strength not to look back at him. Stay strong, Rose.

"Oh good!" Tasha rejoiced. "I was thinking you guys were lost or something!"

I walked over to Lissa. Christian was standing beside her, struggling to hold all her shopping bags.

"Think you can give me a hand, Rose?" he pleaded.

I rolled my eyes. "I would…but I don't feel like it."

He mumbled a few swear words to himself then tried placing them all down on the table one by one.

"So did you find anything?" Lissa wondered.

"No." I lied. If I told Lissa about the bracelet, she would surely buy it. And I really didn't want her to use up all her money for me.

Lissa shrugged. "Ah well." Then, in a low voice so that only I could hear, she asked, "So how'd it go with Dimitri. When I said he could off, I didn't expect him to stalk you the whole entire time. I'm sorry."

I crossed my arms and leaned back in the chair.

"It's ok, I guess. He didn't really say anything."

My eyes skimmed the food court in search of Dimitri and Tasha. They were in line to buy our food in one of the Chinese stands. He said something which made her laugh and clutch his shoulder for support. I glared at the hand then turned back to Lissa.

"So have you told him yet? About Izobela?" she inquired.

"A slip of my mouth told him the whole entire story." I dragged.

Lissa had an expression of pain and sympathy on her face. "I'm so sorry. So does he want to stay with Izobela or what?"

I shook my head.

"I don't know." I said truthfully. "We haven't really talked since last night. But I think he really does care for Izobela."

Her smile was small. "Does that mean you're gonna let him…?"

"Hell no! There's no way I'm gonna let him tell Izobela about him being her father. I mean why should I? He left his own daughter for Tasha? How do I know if he's gonna do it again?"

She sighed. "But I really think he wants to be apart of Izobela's life, let alone yours too, Rose. I still see that he loves you when he looks at you. I think you should at least forgive him."

I shook my head rapidly. "It's gonna take a lot of apologizing and begging and proving until I forgive him. Which will be never."

Lissa placed her chin in her hands.

"At least think about it. If he wants to be a part of Izobela's life, just let him. Hasn't she always wanted a dad in her life. This morning you told me she asked you to tell her a story about him."

"But you don't understand!" I shrieked. "He loves Tasha. Not me. Not Izobela. It's over, Liss."

She just looked at me.

"Here's your lunches." Tasha announced, placing a trey of food in front of us. "Eat up!"

Lissa's eyes scanned mine. Then she sent something through the bond.

_Talk to him. He'll understand, and I'm sure you will too._

I blinked a few times then sighed. I guess I would give it a shot.

A few hours later, once we got back to court (and I picked up Izobela and stuff), we immediately headed back towards the house.

_Now. _Lissa sent. _His aura is curious. Talk to him._

I gave her a look as soon as we got out of the car.

"Dimitri?" I asked nervously.

He looked up at me startled. "Yes?"

I gulped. "Can I talk to you?"

He nodded slowly.

I him to the two swinging-benches in the backyard. Dimitri sat on one, while I sat on the other.

Then, I turned to Dimitri slowly.

"You really want to be a part of her life, don't you?"

His face was serious and expressionless.

"Yes, I do." he answered confidently.

"Dimitri, when you left, you lost my trust in you. And all you want is my forgiveness. I forgive you Dimitri, for everything. But you have to understand that I don't love you anymore."

Those words were very hard to say, aside from choking and stumbling on a few.

"Oh Roza." he breathed. "All I wanted is your forgiveness. And I'm not expecting you to love me either. But I will always love you."

I sighed. "Izobela needs a father. And I think it would be best if you told her. But if you do, then you have to promise, swear on my life, that you'll never leave her again."

"Ok." he replied. "I promise."

Those words were solid and demeaning. I had never thought he would have actually agreed to staying here,

"And." I added. "You can continue your little romance with Tasha, whatever I care."

Dimitri looked stunned. "What? Roza what are you-

I cut him off. "And no more calling me _Roza_. I don't know why there's even a reason to call me that. Seeing that we're not together anymore."

He shook his head. "But Rose-

"Mama!" Izobela shouted, leaping up onto the swaying bench, snuggling close to my arm.

I smiled warmly and gave Dimitri a look, telling him to tell her now.

"Izobela." I started. "Dimitri wants to tell you something."

Izobela looked curiously at him.

"Do you know who your dad is?" Dimitri asked.

She shook her head. "Nope."

"I know this is hard for you to take, Izobela, not knowing who you're father is at all, but I _am_ your father."

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**What'll Izobela's reaction be? Sorry, this is quite the cliffy I was planning for. And the charm bracelet Rose was looking at will be mentioned a lot in the next chapter and so on. The bracelet is one of the main things of the story. I'll post the pic. on my profile soon.**


	3. AN Sorry!

Dear Readers,

**I'm so sorry I haven't updated my stories in a long time, but my computer got de-activated during the move back to Russia, so all my files got deleted. My bf tried to recover them, but they wouldn't come up, so I'm starting the new chapters all over again. But not need to worry, because I will be continuing my stories. And to make up for the long wait, I'm making another story that i think you will all like. It's about Rose being Moroi and Dimitri guarding her, and I think you know what will happen next. ;D I promise that I will have the chapters up in two weeks max. Right now, I have to focus on organizing all the moving boxes and crap. I'm trying my best to remember what I exactly put on the chapters, so it might take me a while. Just wait two weeks and all your worries will be over. In fact, I'm going to Word right now to continue the chapter for My Heart Belongs To You. Thanks for everything and you'll see some surprises over the next two weeks. **

Luv, Meg


	4. Very Merry Christmas

**Hey guys! So my great-grandfather just had a stroke so I have to head to Bakal and I can't bring my laptop unfortunately. It will only be a few weeks but my friend's niece will be posting chapters for you guys. Her name is Katerina and I love her like hell so don't pressure her or anything. The mini ANs such as this will be written by her and she'll introduce herself and everything. I've written a couple of chapters for each story for her to post so when I get back, I'll just take over. She's also an author of fan fiction and I trust her with my account and password. I luv you guys and thanks for reading!**

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Izobela blinked. I let out a breath I was holding for a long time. What would her reaction be? I had no idea. A minute later, her small, pink heart-shaped lips tweaked up into a smile. It was just a normal smile. It wasn't necessarily a happy one, nor was it a sad or angry one.

"How come I've only met you yesterday and all the other girl's at pre-school have known they're daddies forever?" she asked in a small voice.

Dimitri sighed and sat beside her so we were all sitting on the same bench, Izobela between us.

"Because." Dimitri explained. "I did something wrong and left your mother."

She furrowed her eyebrows and looked down. "Oh."

I bit my lips. I hesitated before speaking. "Izzy. All that matters is that your daddy is back. And he's going to stay here with you."

Her smile got wider.

"Are you going to get back together?" she almost shouted in rejoice.

I looked up Dimitri but he didn't meet my eyes. He shrugged.

"No." he answered quietly. "We're not. I'm sorry Izobela."

She pursed her lips and snuggled closer to me. One of the hardest things I learned was that rejecting Izzy was one of the most saddest things. Especially in this case. I could picture in her head just us three, being a happy family, instead of her two parents who would never get back together. There would never be a happy ending for that.

"Rose!" Lissa called from the screen door. I could've kissed her for saving in an awkward moment like what I was experiencing now. "Can you come here for sec.?"

I nodded towards Dimitri and Izobela then went over to where Lissa was standing. She pushed the screen door aside to let me in.

"How was it going?" she whispered.

I shrugged. "I feel bad telling her that Dimitri and I _aren't_ getting back together."

She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it quickly. Then she looked over my shoulder. Curiously, I turned around and looked out the screen door. Dimitri arm was laid along the top of the bench and he was saying something to Izobela, who was listening intently and closely.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Lissa inquired.

I peered in closer. Izobela was nodding and a little smile was forming on her lips.

"Honestly." I wearied. "I have no clue."

She shook her head and looked at me. "Just forget about everything Rose. Tomorrow's Christmas and I don't want my best friend to be all glum over this minor situation."

I rolled my eyes and smiled. "I guess." Then, I turned back around and went back to staring at Izobela and Dimitri. They were still talking and looked like they were discussing in a deep conversation.

"So what did 'Santa' get Izobela." Lissa smirked.

"A tricycle, a couple of stuffed animals, those plastic food sets, and some dolls."

She raised her eyebrows. "Wow, somebody's gonna be spoiled tomorrow morning."

I smiled. "Hey, Dimitri insisted on getting half of it. Least he can do for her first Christmas with him."

Lissa walked over to the kitchen table, where all her shopping bags were piled up. She pulled a small paper bag out with white tissue sticking out. Then, she walked back across the room and handed it to me.

I took then looked at her curiously.

"Open it." she said. "It's my present to you."

"Liss, I'll open it tomorrow." I protested.

She shook her head. "I wanna know if you'll like it or not."

I stared down at the bag then shrugged, carefully taking out the tissue. Inside was a long, black velvet box. I looked up at her before opening it. Placed neatly on a white piece of cloth was a necklace. The pendant was a rose. It was a _real_ rose. I placed my fingers on it. It felt smooth and soft as I trailed my fingers along the redish-pink petals and the green stem cup that held it, attaching it to a solid gold chain. It sort of reminded me of the necklace Victor had give me; the one that held the lust spell. But this one was a million times more beautiful.

"Liss…it's beautiful." I breathed.

She smiled. "I found it while you and Dimitri were at that jewelry store."

I pulled her into a big hug then clasped the necklace around my neck.

"It's perfect." I repeated.

* * *

"Merry Christmas, Mama!" Izobela sang out the next day, jumping on my bed. I sat up slowly, still groggy, rubbed my eyes, then pulled her into a hug.

"Merry Christmas." I told her. She was wearing a short-sleeved dress with slightly puffed sleeves. It was a thin, red, green, and gold plaid dress with a raised waistline tied with a large gold bow. She looked cut and reminded me of a wrapped present.

"Auntie Lissa wants you to come downstairs for breakfast." she lilted.

I kissed her cheek and grabbed my black robe, putting it on as Izobela and I went downstairs.

"Merry Christmas Rose!" Lissa cried as soon as she saw me. Everyone was at the table, with happy faces. I gave her a hug and sat down beside Dimitri, which, was the only chair available.

"Merry Christmas, Rose." he whispered.

"Merry Christmas, Dimitri." I said blandly.

"Rose." Lissa assented. "Janine's coming tonight for dinner. And so is Abe. And Mia and Eddie are coming too."

I froze. My mother was coming? With _Abe_? She loved Izobela like she was her own child, but she wasn't so happy about what Dimitri had done. Luckily Dimitri wasn't there for her "explosion" or else he would've never gotten out of her wrath.

"Oh." That's all I could say?

I poured some orange juice into my glass and didn't look up when Tasha stood up and clasped her hands together.

"I have an announcement everyone." she consoled. Everyone looked up with curious expressions at her. This couldn't be any more important then her falling of a cliff.

She took a dramatic pause. _Just spill it out, bitch! _"I wanted it to be 100% percent sure so I went to the doctor and they confirmed it. I'm pregnant!"

I choked at the piece of bacon I was chewing. No, no, no! If she was pregnant then that meant Dimitri was the father. And that couldn't be possible because he _swore_ that he'd stay here with Izobela. _Swore._

Lissa and Christian gaped at her with open mouths then they looked at me, then back at her. Dimitri didn't seemed so moved. He almost seemed…_calm_. Was he this calm because he knew that he would have a chance to leave?

"Why isn't anyone saying anything?" Tasha asked, placing her hand on my stomach.

I slammed my glass of OJ down on the table and pushed back my chair, standing up angrily. "I'll be back." I grumbled, pushing the screen door aside and storming out of they're sight. I didn't want to see anybody right now. Not Lissa, not Christian, certainly not Dimitri or Tasha. I was mad for Izobela because she didn't know what this meant. I don't want a certain _somebody_ leaving her _again_. And what was worse was that somewhere, deep inside, I knew that my love for Dimitri was still there. Was that the true cause of my anger? Because I was afraid of that feeling I got when he left to guard Tasha? Well, this was just a happy Christmas.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me. I knew who it was before he spoke.

"Roza." Dimitri whispered behind me, his breath warm against my ear.

I looked down and crossed my arms, refusing to look at him. "Shouldn't you be in there?"

"Why should I?" he muttered in response.

"Why should you?" I screeched. I twirled around and jabbed a finger at his chest. "Maybe because you bitchy girlfriend in there is bragging about her pregnancy! And you should be too, considering YOU are the father. What did you think? You could just leave Izobela now? And this time, I thought I could actually trust you."

He didn't say anything. His eyes were frozen on my face.

"Rose." he said slowly. "I thought you knew. I was about to tell you yesterday."

"Tell me what?" I asked, meeting his brown eyes,

"Rose." he repeated. "The baby isn't mine. Tasha and I were never together."

**(I was going to end it here but I thought what the heck? I'll be gone a few weeks so I'll give you guys a treat.)**

My jaw dropped down to the floor. _The baby isn't mind. Tasha and I were never together. _It had to be the most unbelievable news ever.

"Y-you weren't?" my mouth stuttered.

He shrugged. "We tried it when I first came to guard her. But it didn't feel right so we just decided to stay friends. I told her about _us_ so she suggested that we come visit you. I didn't know this would hurt you this much, Rose. I'm sorry."

My eyes were wide and I was speechless. I was happy that Dimitri would keep his promise to Izobela, but the truth was, I was just happy that he came all this way just to prove that he loved me. Even when he guarded Tasha, he still though tof me. I didn't care who's baby it was; I was just glad that it wasn't Dimitri's. I had to admit that I did love him, but I couldn't let myself.

"You're forgiven." I said, nodding my head. "I have to admit that Izobela would have been sad if you left."

He cocked his head. "Just Izobela?"

I rolled my eyes and smiled. "Maybe not just Izobela."

There was a tapping sound behind the screen door. We both turned our heads to find an amused Izobela watching us intently. Once she got us looking at her, she gave Dimtri a thumbs up. That reminded me of something. I turned back to Dimitri.

"What were you two talking about yesterday?" I asked.

"Stuff." he answered.

I re-crossed my arms. "What kind of stuff?"

He shook his head and smiled crookedly. "Just father-daughter stuff."

It kinda surprised me. Izobela had grown closer to Dimitri in just two days tops. Dimitri had really shown how much he cared and how committed he was. Already they had secret 'stuff' that I would try to find out by myself. Maybe someday, I would find out that stuff.

"Anyways." I continued from the earlier conversation. "I'm really glad that decided to stay."

He smiled. I turned away to go back to the house when a stupid rock got in my way and tripped me. Before I could hit the ground, a pair of strong hands when around my waist and steadied me. I turned around the thank him and realized his face was just inches apart. I stared at his lips and remembered. The cabin. Those stolen-kisses. Slowly, he leaned in. I gave in to my urge and stayed still, waiting for his lips to crush into mine, when I remembered. Cut it out Rose! He left you remember? I jerked back in response and jumped out of his grasp. I refused to meet his eyes as I sucked in some air and turned back towards the house.

* * *

**So I'll see you guys in a couple of weeks. Please keep my grandfather in your prayers and help out Katerina a little. She'll love to read all your reviews so keep em' coming! Ciao!**


	5. Charm Bracelet

**Hey guys! So here's the next chapter. Enjoy it, read it, and REVIEW! And also, to those people who give Meg crap reviews telling her they can't bear how bad this story is, GET A LIFE AND FUCK IT! This is called FANFICTION, meaning making up your own story from your imagination. I'm sure you people are just jealous. Katerina out! Oh ya, I just left in style.**

That night, Abe, my mother, Mia, Eddie, and who knows why but, Adrian, came to the house. We had a really good dinner that Dimitri prepared. Who knew he could cook? After that, we all went and sat around the Christmas tree that Christian had hulled out of the attic. Even if it was still reusable, it was beautiful. It was decorated with colorful glass orbs and figures with a solid gold angel perched on top. Underneath were loads of presents wrapped in red and green paper that I couldn't help but catch Izobela eyeing.

"Now can we open presents?" Izobela asked desperately.

I laughed and nodded. "Go ahead."

She was so fascinated by all the presents she got. In just one minute, there were scraps of wrapping paper all over the floor. I enjoyed seeing her gasp and gawk at every single present she got. First, she opened one from Lissa and Christian. They had gotten her a doll house that was almost bigger then the tree. My mother gave her a stuffed puppy and Abe got her one of those painting sets for toddlers. She'd also gotten a bracelet set from Eddie and Mia, a little shirt that had Adrian's face on it and said "He's My Uncle. Jealous Much?" (I couldn't help but let out a small giggle), and Izobela's favorite Cds and videos from Tasha. Lissa was right, she would be spoiled. Especially after she saw what Dimitri and I had gotten her.

Us adults gave each other our presents, but we weren't as eager to open them as Izobela. I had given Lissa a diamond bracelet with a silver bead that said: Best Friends Forever, Christian a shirt that said WARNING: FLAMMABLE, Mia a pink Gucci purse, Eddie a 'man necklace' with a shark tooth on it, Tasha some baby clothes for the baby, Dimitri a cowboy hat, a whole new entire series of those Western books, and another duster, Adrian a green scarf that matched his eyes, and my parents, well, I gave them my undying love (What can I say? I was broke.). I thought I did pretty good shopping for they're gifts, considering I had just gotten them today.

I was happy with my presents as well. I had gotten a mini fridge from Christian, a really awesome outfit from Mia and Eddie, an iTouch from my parents, a long diamond encrusted necklace from Tasha, and a brand new stake from Dimitri. Dimitri's, aside from Lissa's present, was the most beautiful. It had swirl designs and the clutch and, for some reason, it wasn't silver but, gold.

"Where'd you get it?" I asked him while everyone else chatted. That had been the first time I had talked to him since our little incident this morning.

He had a ghostly smile on his face. "Guardian secrets."

I rolled my eyes. "Well I _am_ a guardian so I don't see why you can't tell me."

He laughed quietly and sat back on his chair.

I turned away from him and set my eyes towards Izobela. She was looking underneath the tree, probably for more presents. She ended up pulling a small, velvet blue box out like magic.

"Look, Mama!" she shouted, holding up the box. Lissa reached over and took it from her. She looked down at the little card then looked up at me.

"Rose…it's for you."

I tilted my head to the side and grabbed the box from her. It was a small rectangular box with a plain white card on it. I flipped the card open. It read in fancy cursive:

**To: Rose**

**Merry Christmas. **

Nobody had signed it. I looked up and discovered everyone in the room looking at me. I ran my hand through the soft, velvety coat of the box and opened it. As soon as I got a clear image of it, I froze. There it was. The beautiful bracelet that I had seen in the mall yesterday. I carefully held it up by its clasp like it was the most delicate thing it the world. The gold sparkled from the light above and the only heart charm hung loosely from the gold band.

"Who's it from?" Mia asked.

I shrugged then put it back in its box. "Nobody signed it."

"Looks like Rose has a secret admirer." Tasha said, smirking.

Who had sent me this? I had no idea. All I knew was that the only person who had been with me when I was looking at the charm bracelet was Dimitri. Could it really be Dimitri who sent this to me? It was impossible because he had been with me the whole entire time. He never left my side once and I'm pretty sure he couldn't come up with that sum of money to buy some bracelet for me. Dimitri had already given me a present so it wasn't him. And plus I'd seen Dimitri's handwriting and it wasn't anywhere near this. Then again I'd never seen his cursive handwriting…

"Does anybody know who gave this to me?" I asked. Everyone shook their heads, but I was mostly looking at Dimitri from the corner of my eye. He also shook his head. Damn.

"It's beautiful, Rose. Whoever gave that to you must really love you." Lissa said. Izobela walked across the room and onto Dimitri's lap, where she could get a better view.

"Pretty, Mama. Put it on." she mumbled.

I looked up at Dimitri. He smiled warmly, encouraging me to put it on. I shrugged and clasped it around my wrist.

"Well." my mother said, standing up with Abe. "I'd better get going."

I nodded then stood up. "Okay, it was nice seeing you again."

She said her goodbyes to everyone, paused, then glared at Dimitri, then left with Abe.

"Sorry about that." I muttered to him.

He grinned. "Don't worry."

After a couple of minutes, Eddie, Mia, and Adrian left. Izobela feel asleep on Dimitri's lap, so we both went upstairs to put her to bed, while the others cleaned up.

I felt tempted to ask him if he did, in fact, sent me that bracelet. The suspense was killing me.

"So…" I started we closed the door to Izobela's room. "I just wanted to thank you for the stake. And even though you won't tell me where you got it, it's still beautiful."

He smiled. "Your welcome. And I like the cowboy hat. It's always what I've wanted."

I giggled. "It just screamed you once I saw it. Not to mention that new duster and books."

We talked for a few more minutes until I finally built up the nerve to ask him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Ask away." he said, leaning against the wall.

I took a deep breath. "Ar-are you the one who sent me that bracelet?"

He was silent. _Say something._

"It's okay if you did." I encouraged. "But…I was just wondering."

He didn't say anything. I looked at him willingly. I was waiting for his answer and I could feel my palms getting sweaty.

"No." he answered firmly, refusing to meet my eyes. "I didn't."

I was kind of disappointed not to mention embarrassed. "Oh."

A couple of minutes of silence later, Dimitri shifted uncomfortably.

"I'd better go help clean up downstairs." he told me. I nodded, knowing this was just an excuse to get out of this awkwardness.

"Merry Christmas, Roza." he said, walking back downstairs.

"Merry Christmas." I whispered to myself as he descended down the stairs.

* * *

The morning I woke up, I immediately realized that I was still in the clothes I had been wearing last night. It was a late night, so I hadn't bothered to change at all. So that meant I still wore the charm bracelet I had gotten last night. Questions were still on my mind on who _had_ sent it to me. I now doubted it was Dimitri, because he did say no, and from what I remembered, he wasn't so keen on lying. Suddenly, a memory struck my mind. Maybe it was Dimitri. I recalled the time out back when he was talking with Izobela about something "secretive" and "father-daughter-ish". Was Izobela in this? The only question now was, why?

I hopped out of bed in one quick movement and was inside her room in a second. She was already awake, in her blue feetie-pajamas, playing with her brand new dollhouse.

"Morning, Izzy.", I greeted, pecking her cheek.

She smiled up at me warmly. "Good morning, Mama. Do you wanna play with me?"

"Maybe later. But I want to ask you something."

She nodded and put the dolls she was holding down. "What is it?"

I sat down next to her on the floor and placed her on my lap.

"Remember two days ago, when you and daddy were out in the backyard." I asked.

She froze like I had just said something horrific. What? Was it really that bad to tell me?

"Y-yes…" she murmured slowly, her breathing hard and tiring. This was her attitude when she was hiding something. That meant that something secretive had happened that day.

I smiled to myself then continued. "So what were you two talking about?"

I felt her small hand shake slightly. You've hit the jackpot Rose.

She tried to make herself smaller by tucking herself tightly into my arms, but it didn't work.

"I-

But someone interrupted her. The door to her bathroom creaked open and out came an amused Dimitri. Damn it! This close!

I groaned as he crossed the room and stopped right in front of us.

"Really Dimitri, really?" I said with a sarcastic tone.

He smirked. "You're not getting information that way, Roza."

The old nickname brought shivers down my back. Even if I wasn't with him, he could still make me feel special.

Izobela immediately stopped shaking and crawled onto his lap.

"Thank you." she whispered.

He laughed. "So Rose. Why are you all of a sudden so interested on what we were talking about two days ago?"

I bit my lip. "Well…umm…you know…just…"

He made tsking sound. "One day, you'll know Roza, one day."

With that, he left with Izzy in his arms, leaving me in a daze. A few minutes later, I followed them downstairs, where everyone was seating at the table. I sat down on my usual spot and stayed still, still thinking.

"Ooh, Rose has her serious face on." Christian cooed sarcastically.

"Shut up, Flammy." I mumured.

Tasha smiled. "Still thinking about who sent you the bracelet?"

"Ye-" I stopped at mid-word. "_You_ didn't happen to send me it, did you?"

She shook her head but still had a smile plastered on her face.

"Fine but do you know _who_ sent it to me?" I asked.

Lissa was the one to answer. "Rose, I think whoever sent it might not want to be interrogated, even if they're in this very room."

My eyes widened in surprise. "Does that mean you_ do_ know who sent it?"

"Seriously, Rose. I think your getting a little too paranoid over this." Christian added.

I glared at him. "Me, paranoid?"

Lissa cut in. "Just give it a rest Rose. Whoever sent it maybe wants to keep a low profile. Give it a week or two and maybe he or she will reveal himself."

I couldn't help but realize that Dimitri hadn't said a word. I turned to him and stared him down. "Why aren't you saying anything."

He shrugged. "I have nothing to say. I completely agree with Lissa."

And that was the end of the conversation. I slumped back down in my chair with a humph! and crossed my arms over my chest. This was going to be a long day!

**Who do u think gave the bracelet to Rose. I didn't read the next chapter for this so I have no idea who. But I think its either Adrian or Dimitri or a new person…? Anyways, review and I'll post a new chapter for Being In Love With My Guardian Is Crap next week!**


	6. Get A Clue Christian

**Aloha everyone! I know I haven't updated this story in so long, but I've been really caught up with assignments so I hope you forgive me! This chapter is sort of short and boring, but its sort of a filler chapter. :)**

**I want to thank Ryan (**_lilmissryry_**) for proofreading all my stories, and I know I don't usually do this, but I want to make a dedication. Without you two, this story would never have gone on:**

**This chapter is dedicated to **_Redheadtress_** because I'm using your idea for this chapter. And **_deliciouse_ **for practically giving me a whole new story line that I will go with. Love you both! **

**And sorrry again for the long wait, but here's chapter six:**

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The day went by quickly, and before I knew it, it was almost night time once again. It was 10:30 vampire time, so I decided to hit the gym. I needed to get my mind off things, and punching a few dummies, pretending to hear their blood-curling scream while staking them, was a good way to relax. But I really needed to forget about that bracelet. It was probably just a fling and I had more important things to think about. Like what Izobela and Dimitri had talked about a few days ago. I still hadn't found out anything about that, but I was planning to.

I threw my bag on the floor and did a few stretches. I was completely unaware of my surroundings when the doors opened. I turned my head, and surprisingly saw Dimitri and Izobela walking in. I lifted my eyebrow - well, at least tried to - and stood up.

Izobela saw me and smiled, showing her white baby teeth. Then, she ran and jumped into my arms. I smiled back down at her, and stroked her semi-long hair.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" I asked, looking up at Dimitri as he walked towards us.

"She couldn't sleep," he answered. "And apparently you couldn't either. So I asked her if she wanted to come watch me fight. But don't worry, I'll get her back to bed right after we're done."

I nodded and put her down. "Alright, Izzy. But you have to stay over there, okay?" I pointed to an area near the treadmills where I could watch her.

Izobela pouted and turned to Dimitri. "You promised me you would teach me how to fight!"

I quickly looked up at Dimitri and he gave me a sorrowful look. Izobela was only three, and no way would she be learning how to fight so quickly, especially at a young age.

"Dimitri..." I drifted off hesitantly.

He seemed to read my mind and nodded. "Izobela," he started. "I'm not so sure about that ... but I promise I'll teach you when you're older."

Izobela frowned and did the cutest thing ever when she wanted something. It was like her version of a puppy-dog face. Her bottom lip extended and quivered slightly, and her big chocolatey brown eyes got even bigger. And if it wasn't even possible, she tried to make herself smaller by scrunching her shoulders inward. Then she made her eyes water a little. It was something I never could do, and doubted Dimitri could do. I always gave into this face, but I wasn't going to take an answer for it.

"Mama..." she whispered in a little voice.

I shook my head and bit my lip. She made her eyes bigger, then faced Dimitri. He was stunned at first, then looked up at me with a weak expression. I bit the inside of my cheek and sighed. "Okay, fine." I gave in. "But don't teach her how to throw direct punches. Next thing you know, she'll be punching all the guys who annoy her at school, like her mother."

Dimitri gave us a half-smile, then took Izobela's hand. "Don't worry, Rose. I'll teach her to be more controlling."

I smirked, then left them to have their little training session. I punched a few dummies and practiced my staking for about an hour, when I finally dared myself to look at the clock. I put my stake back in my pocket and walked towards Dimitri and Izobela. They were making progress, I had to say. Dimitri was teaching her all the fighting stances and how to block. I smiled to myself. She was like a mini version of me at the Academy a few years back. When Dimitri was still my mentor, and I thought that my life was perfect. Until that very day he told me he was leaving. It was like I never knew what had hit me.

**_*Flashback*_**

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

_I hit the snooze button on my alarm. Five more minutes of sleep wouldn't be so bad. Dimitri wouldn't mind, and it's not like I've ever been on time for our training sessions. _

_But then there was a knock on my door. I groaned, then slipped on my slippers before groggily opening the door. On the other side was a freshmen boy. I didn't know his name, but I'd seen him around campus. He was holding an envelope._

_"What do you want?" I sneered._

_He flinched. Ah, so this boy is afraid of me. He's heard the rumors. Props to me._

_"I-I have a-a letter f-for you," he whispered, stumbling after every word._

_I rolled my eyes and took the letter from his hand, slamming the door directly in his face. I heard a squeak and fast footsteps fade away from my dorm. I flipped the white envelope over, and in very familiar handwriting, scrawled in black ink, was: "Rose". Huh, maybe he wanted to cancel practice after all. Maybe he wanted me to meet him in his room so we could plan our romantic getaway. _

_I opened the letter eagerly and unfolded the paper._

**Dear Rose,**

**I'm sorry that you have to find out this way, and I don't really know how to tell you this. But I want to let you know that I love you. I always have, and I always will. What we have together is special, and you're the only one for me, Roza. Please take my word when I say this, but what happened in the cabin the other day was wrong. As much as I love you, we can't be together. I'm afraid that I'm just another distraction from you being the greatest guardian in history, guarding Lissa. As guardians, we have to put the Moroi before ourselves, and I hope you and I, out of all the other dhampirs, understand that.**  
**We have to both be strong about this, so I've decided to take on the job of being Natasha Ozera's guardian. I know you don't like her, but I believe she's the only way so I will not come back to the Academy for you. Please promise me that you'll train your hardest and live up to your standards of becoming the best guardian ever. Take care of Lissa and say goodbye for me. And take care of yourself, Roza. You'll always have my heart.**

**I know this will be hard, so I promise you that you'll never see me again. It will be like I've never existed. Live your life like nothing happened. And promise me that you won't come looking for me. Stay with your friends, because they care for you. Hopefully you'll understand why I'm doing this. I want the best for you. You'll always be in my heart and I'll never forget you.**

**I love you,**

**D**

_I looked up from the letter in tears. How could he do this to me? He had my heart and shredded it into pieces. But maybe it wasn't too late. _

_I shoved the letter in the back of my sweatpants and stormed to the guardian dorms. Once I got in front of Dimitri's room, I pounded on it furiously. Nobody answered. _

_I wiped away my angry tears furiously and ran to the gym. But instead of Dimitri waiting, Alberta was._  
_"Hathaway," she barked. "Ten minutes late. Fifteen laps."_

_I threw my hair back from my face and wiped away more hot tears from the depths of my cheek. "Where's Dimitri?" I demanded through tears._

_Alberta gave me a weird look, then stepped forward. "Guardian Belikov? Thought he told you already. He left. Now, why are you crying?"_

_I squeezed my eyes shut, then sniffed. "When did he leave?"_

_"I'm not sure if he left yet, but I just met him in the main office. He was just there to sort out a few more papers. I don't know what the meaning of this is, but-"_

_I ran out of the gym and headed towards the main office. He's still here, I tried to convince myself. No way would he leave after this. _

_I threw the doors open and was welcomed by an empty room. I walked up to the reception desk and asked, "Is Guardian Belikov here?"_

_The lady looked up at me. "Sorry, Miss Hathaway. You just missed him. He's probably on his way to the gates."_

_I swallowed and turned back, starting for the entrance and exit of the school. Running while crying my heart out was hard. But it was worth it, because I saw a tall figure looming towards the gates. I crossed my arms and walked over to him, tears falling faster then ever._

_"So you're leaving. Just like that," I whispered, loud enough for him to hear._

__

He swiveled around and sighed, putting his bags down. "Rose," he addressed. "I thought you read the letter. I don't want you to come after me, or try to convince me to stay."

"I'm not convincing you to stay," I said abruptly. "But do you really want to leave, right after you told me you loved me multiple times and told me that you'd never leave me? And don't even say this is for the best. Because I know what's best for me, and this isn't it."

Dimitri opened his mouth to say something, but then closed his mouth.

"And a letter?" I asked. "I thought you'd be more serious about this, comrade. It would've been better if you said it to my face."

"It would've been hard to say goodbye," he finally said.

"This isn't wrong, Dimitri," I said. "What we had together was special, and you're just going to drop everything like nothing happened."

He stepped closer to me. "Please, Rose. You have to accept this. I want you to be focused on Lissa, not me. What we did in the cabin was amazing, I'll give you that. But it was wrong."

I shivered slightly at his words and wiped away a tear that was escaping my eye. "I thought that if I could have one thing in my life", I whispered, "it would be you. But apparently not."

He was silent for a moment before taking a deep breath and leaning down towards me. Then, for what felt like the last time, he pressed his warm lips on my forehead. His lips pondered there for a moment before releasing me and picking up his bags.

"Goodbye, Roza," he said, turning away and heading out of the Academy. Out of my life. And without looking back.

_***End of flashback***_

"Rose," Dimitri said, snapping me out of my trance.

"Huh?" I asked.

"It's getting late. Almost midnight. I think we should get going."

"Oh, okay," I agreed, walking towards Izobela. A thin line of sweat covered her forehead and she smiled crookedly at me.

"Mama, Daddy told me you used to train with him."

I looked up at Dimitri before looking back down at her. "It's true, angel. He taught me everything I know," I answered softly. "But we have to go now, okay?"

"Can we do something before we leave?" she asked innocently.

"Sure, Izzy. What is it?"

She looked between me and Dimitri and smiled. "Can I watch you fight together?"

I lifted my head and met Dimitri's eyes. It had been forever since we had fought together. Almost four years. And it's not like I haven't been wondering if he'd gotten any better or if there's still a chance I could pin him down.

"What do you say, comrade?" I teased. "Just like old times."

He grinned, then stepped forward. "Let's do it."

We took our fighting stances and Izobela clapped, then went over to the corner of the gym to watch.  
We circled each other, waiting to see who would make the first move. It was usually me, but I wanted to prove to him that I was just as good as before.

He threw a punch at me but I ducked smoothly. I tried to kick him in the stomach but he knew beforehand and was on the other side of me in a flash. I swerved to my left and tried to knock him off his feet, but he jumped and grabbed my arm. I elbowed him and landed a punch on his side. But of course, being the god he was, he didn't flinch.

He grabbed my outstretched arm and twisted it behind me. I winced, but I wasn't going to lose that easy. I used my other arm and punched him backwards, which made him stumble back and release me. I kicked out and knocked him off his feet. He was on the ground, so I attacked him and straddled him. But he had us switched in a second and was on top of me, holding my arms to my sides. Then, he pointed his finger at me and declared me "dead".

"Looks like I can still pin you down," he gloated.

I rolled my eyes. "I was holding back since Izobela's in the room. But it felt good sparring with you again."

He looked deep into my eyes before smiling. "You too."

We just stayed like that for what seemed like forever, until I realized he was still on top of me. He seemed to notice that too, and got of me in a flash. Izobela ran over to us.

"That was fun!" she grinned like a maniac. "Will I get to fight like that when I'm older?"

I laughed. "You're going to be the best guardian ever. Now let's get home."

We all made it back home in one piece. After we kissed Izobela goodnight, we went downstairs where Lissa, Christian, and Tasha, but mostly Lissa, were watching Gossip Girl. We decided to join them.

"So, what's going on again?" Christian asked confused.

Lissa groaned. "How many times do I have to tell you! Blair broke up with Nate, but, like, right after that, she had sex with Chuck in the limo, and Chuck is Nate's best friend!"

"Get a clue, Christian," I joked, flopping down on one of the couches.

"Drama is so out of my league," he muttered, turning back towards the TV.

"Everything's out of you league," Tasha teased, bumping Christian's arm. She was looking at a catalogue for baby clothing and seemed fascinated at everything that she found.

"You never told us, Tasha," I started. "Who's the lucky man who gets to be the father of your baby?"

Tasha smiled warmly at me. "This dhampir named Alex. I met him a few months ago. I'd love for all of you to meet him. But you'll have to give me some advice on babies, Rose. I don't think I'll be a good mother like you."

I grinned. Tasha was nice. Especially since now I knew that the father wasn't Dimitri.

"Another episode!" Christian groaned. "What is this, a marathon or something?"

"Yes, actually it is," Lissa replied, crossing her legs. "But don't worry, I'll guide you through everything. Okay, first Serena left for boarding school in Connecticut because she had an affair with Nate, who is Blair's-"

"Keep up the good work tormenting Sparky, Liss," I said. Tasha and Dimitri were in deep conversation about something boring, so I decided to close my eyes. Like I said before, a few minutes of shut-eye wouldn't hurt.

But not before I heard a scream from upstairs.


End file.
